


Only Happens after Dark

by ozzieloot



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Fluffy Smut, Halloween, Smut, if there is such a thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-10
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-20 13:58:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8251598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ozzieloot/pseuds/ozzieloot
Summary: Cat Grant finds herself stranded on Halloween night in a shady, small-town hotel. Will her hotel room neighbor be able to convince her of the magic of Halloween?





	1. Chapter 1

Leaves are blowing in her face…not only in her face, but also getting stuck in her hair and even piling around her feet in stark contrast to the black concrete below her at this point as she waits for the verdict on her car. They range in color from yellow to orange to the dark brown, crinkly ones that disintegrate when she swipes them off the sleeve of her coat in agitation. Admittedly, the road she had been driving on was picturesque, especially this time of year when the leaves that were now irritating her were turning their brilliant kaleidoscope of colors on the thick trees that lined the two lane highway. The road was smooth and just the right amount of curvy for her to actually enjoy her multi-hour drive back to her home in National City.

“I don’t understand how this happened. One flat tire, sure, but two?” she snipes at the tow truck driver, who is currently securing the front of her car to the hoist on his truck. She’s been glaring at him since he arrived for many reasons, but most of all, just because she can.

“Not sure, ma’am,” he grunts, playing idly with the toothpick hanging from his lip. “Any number of reasons, I guess.”

“How long will it take to get these fixed? I need to be back on the road as soon as possible,” she says distractedly, tapping at her cell as though that will make the data flow faster. She barely had enough signal to call for assistance, much less get any info about the miniscule town she might be closest to.

“Depends, ma’am,” he drawls, giving her the once over while she's distracted by her phone. “Doesn’t look like they can be repaired, so you’d need at least one replacement, although I wouldn’t advise riding on that spare too much…have to see what they’ve got in stock. We don’t see too many of these fancy rides in town.” He’s twirling that toothpick between his fingers now as he ogles her openly, but when those fierce eyes pop up to his face again, he decides getting back to the car is probably in his best interest.

“How far is it to this town?”

“’bout 12 miles or so. There’s a hotel if you get stuck overnight,” he throws back over his shoulder with what Cat assumes is a smirk, but it’s hard to tell when sticks are dangling out of his mouth.

“Oh, I don’t think so,” she says resolutely, shifting her purse further up her arm and making her way towards the passenger side of his filthy truck. “Are we ready to get on with this?”

\------------------------------------------

Kara bends her knees a bit before jumping down off the hood of her jeep. She lands solid on the old gravel driveway of the church she’s photographing. Not that you can really see much of the driveway this time of year, or the lush green grass surrounding the ancient church. It’s thick with the fallen leaves of the season, the air is crisp and she takes a deep breath full of the fresh air in the country, smiling and clutching her camera close to her chest when she smells a fire nearby, most likely someone burning a pile of these leaves or starting a fire in a fire pit to ward off the chill of the upcoming night.

It's her favorite night of the year and she’ll readily admit that she picked this particular town to stop in for the night because of it. It’s not only famous for the photo worthy steeples of the old church, but also for the festival held in front of their tiny city hall on Halloween night and the eerie stories she’s heard about the multi-century cemetery on the street one block over from the tiny hotel where she booked a room earlier in the day. 

Her trek across the states to her new home has given her a hard drive full of shots that she’s sure will pay her rent for the next year. She’s a photographer by trade, but has kept herself on a job-to-job basis to keep the feeling of independence that she thrives on. The move is something she’s wanted to do for a while, to be closer to her sister and a few friends and she can’t wait to see what National City has to offer.

She sighs as she takes a look at a few of the sunset shots she just took and when a dark blur catches her peripheral, she quickly raises her lens to catch the midnight black cat perched upon the top step of the church. Its green eyes shine in the low light and she makes a few quick adjustments before snapping a few more shots. She chuckles a bit before murmuring, “Well, I don’t know if a black cat on Halloween is considered lucky, but it’s something.”

\----------------------------------

“You have to be kidding me.” Cat throws down the worn magazine she’s been idly flipping through for the past 45 minutes. The light is waning low outside the dirty windows of the mechanic’s shop and she can already see the flicker of the street lamps coming to life.

“I’m really sorry, Miss Grant,” the young nervous man replies. “There’s only a few specialty tires that will fit this car and the earliest I can get any of them here is the morning.”  
“And what do you propose that I do until morning?” she says, seething at the situation she’s found herself in. “I’m still hours away from my home.”

“Um. Well, we do have a small hotel here in town, ma’am. I’m sure they can set you up with a room for the night…and well, it’s Halloween tonight,” he says as if Cat Grant would care. “I mean, uh, there’s a little festival in front of city hall and you know, trick or treaters…” he trails off uncertainly as her glare worsens. “Right. So, uh, I can give you a lift or the hotel is just three blocks from here. Whatever you need, ma’am.”

“For starters, stop calling me ma’am. I’ll walk. You have my number. I’d like to be notified when my car is ready to go in the morning.”

“Yes, ma’…I mean, yes, Miss Grant. I’ll call and I’ll bring it over myself,” he stutters out.

She leaves with a flourish but without another word.

\--------------------------------

Twenty minutes later Cat is turning an honest-to-god room key in the door of a hotel which she is sure has starred in a few scifi horror movies. The door creaks, the carpet is thick and atrocious, but when she steps inside and sets her bag down on the small table by the door, she laughs. Because she hasn’t stayed in a place like this since she was an aspiring reporter for the Daily Planet. Perry White would toss out tidbits of minor stories in small towns in the middle of god knows where and she would be out the door on its trail before he could clip the end off of his next cigar.

She’s hesitant to slip off her shoes without a thorough inspection, but after she turns the deadbolt on the door and plugs her phone into the wall outlet to charge, she begins peeking around the room hesitantly, praying to god she doesn’t come up with her next expose when she really just wants to shower and lay down in a clean bed. 

It looks clean enough. The sheets are crisp and smell of laundry detergent and the bathroom is clean, except for a few spots of wear and tear that no amount of disinfectant can erase. The vanity mirror is cracked at the top corner and the vent which is blowing somewhat stale air into the room is askew, but other than that, Cat can’t find a major reason to worry. 

She’s unzipping her bag when in the mirror, she finds that she completely overlooked the adjoining door behind her. With a few sure steps and a firm grip, she finds it to be locked and tries to forget about it. The hotel looked almost deserted anyway and it’s only overnight. She repeats that mantra to herself a few more times while she pulls her small toiletry bag out and takes it to the sink.

\-----------------------------------

Kara drives slowly down the main drag of the tiny town with her windows down. It’s barely dusk, so the orange and purple lights that the houses are decorated with are barely visible yet, the candles are still dark in the front porch pumpkins. God, she’s bouncing in her bucket seat like a twelve-year-old and she doesn’t care because it’s the greatest night of the year and she may have just found the greatest town in America to spend it in, even if she’s exploring it on her own.

Right now, all she can think of is a shower, a fresh change of clothes and as much of an entire pizza that she handle from the adorable Italian place she passed earlier in the day.  
She pulls into the parking lot and grabs her stuff to stow until morning. It’s her last night before she settles into her new town. She’s going to see what she can get up to. 

\------------------------------------

Cat occupies herself for a while checking her emails on the spotty wifi provided by the hotel and startles briefly when the shower in the adjoining room suddenly turns on. She thinks for a minute that she really should have heard her new neighbor coming into the room next door especially with how overwhelmingly loud the shower sounds into her ears now. She rolls her eyes at herself and starts flipping through the flimsy restaurant guide by the ancient rotary telephone. With not much to offer besides what looks like a tiny Italian place, she resigns herself to wait until tomorrow and picks her phone back up to distract herself. 

She’s just about to begin a scathing response to someone on her editing team when the telephone rings loud in her ears, rattling the ratty side table and causes her to drop her cell phone under the adjacent double bed. Cursing, she grabs the receiver and brings it to her ear with a grimace. “Yes?” she barks into the mouthpiece. Nothing but a faint clicking noise. “Hello?” she says haughtily in a sing-song voice. She listens for another few seconds as the clicking gets louder, then slams it down with another curse.  
She bends low on her heels looking for her phone, not seeing even a glimpse. She huffs a bit before shedding the designer shoes and reluctantly dropping to her knees on the shag carpet from hell. She reaches blindly for a minute, hoping it’s resting just out of the light, but no luck. She stoops even lower and stretches her fingers as far as they’ll go, envisioning a shower so hot it will burn away her memories of this wretched place. When she finally closes her fingers around the cool surface of her phone, she sighs gratefully, rising to her feet gracefully as she turns the screen back on. 

Cat stares at the screen long enough to open her email app back up, but then she realizes that there is more light in her room than there was before. She turns slowly between the two double beds to see that the adjoining door between her and her neighbor’s is wide open. 

The room next door is brightly lit and she can see what looks like a camera bag on the cheap bedside table before her view is interrupted...but oh, is it interrupted by a sight. A long, lean body wrapped in a starched white towel walks into view, another towel in her hands squeezing the water out of what Cat can guess is dirty, blonde hair. That long, luxurious hair is what is keeping her neighbor from realizing that she has an audience, so Cat finally has the thought to clear her throat pointedly. 

Kara jumps, twirling towards the open door in shock. “How did you get that open?” 

Cat scoffs. “I didn’t ‘get that open’. You obviously did. What? Were you waiting until I had my back turned?” she asked incredulously, holding her phone to her chest.

Kara scoffs right back. “I most certainly did not!”

The two women have a bit of a stand-off for a few minutes until Kara finally breaks with a laugh. “Look, this is obviously some kind of joke, right? What are you playing at here?” She tries to keep laughing, but only ends up staring at her newfound guest.

Cat glares. “There is no joke. I drop my phone, then turn around and this door is wide open?” she raises her hands like it should be obvious. “You did this.”

Kara scoffs again, or tries to, when she finally realizes who she’s arguing with. “You’re…you’re Cat Grant,” she says with only a little awe. They are arguing, she rationalizes. No reason to overdo her infatuation.

The older woman is taken aback, at least a little. She turns where she stands, a little lost without her heels, “Yes. Yes, I am. And you are?”

“Kara Danvers,” Kara says with a smile, walking uninvited into the doorway to extend her hand. “Um…sorry,” she laughs as she steps back, holding tight to the towel wrapped around her body but still holding out her hand in greeting. 

Realization passes over Cat’s eyes and she takes the few steps it takes to meet her. “Kara Danvers. I’ve been trying to get you on my photography team for months and now, here you are, stalking me in my crappy hotel room,” she smirks.

“Hey! I’m not the one stalking,” Kara stays indignantly, dropping her offered hand. “If anyone is stalking, it’s the one not dressed in a towel!” 

Cat chuckles. “I guess we’re at a stalemate then, Kara, because I did not open that door.”

“Well, I didn’t either, Cat. So I guess there’s something bigger at play here tonight,” Kara says, the playfulness evident in her blue eyes.

Cat takes one more sweeping look at the endless, tan legs on display before replying, “Much, much bigger indeed, Kara.”

\-------------------------------

“Halloween is for children,” Cat says as though it’s an anthem.

Kara is appalled and yanks her camera back from the woman’s hand indignantly. “Halloween is for everyone,” Kara says firmly, “At least everyone who has a sense of adventure,” she says teasingly. They’ve been sitting at the tiny table in Cat’s room since Kara got dressed, showing Cat what she’s been working on during her drive across country. So far, the media mogul has jotted down more than a dozen picture references, leaving Kara very happy with all of her gut instincts along the way.

“Well, I know for sure that my twelve-year-old loves it,” Cat smirks. 

“Smart kid,” Kara replies. She scrolls to a picture she took just that day, raindrops glistening on the surface of a carved pumpkin. Its face is worn already by the weather of the past few weeks, but it gives the carved openings a worn look that can’t be bought or replicated. She had knocked on the door of the house for permission before she took the picture, the mom and young son so happy to have something that a stranger would be interested in. She zooms in a bit on the viewfinder before offering it to the woman, hoping not just to catch her professional attention but also to get her to catch a bit of the holiday spirit.

“That’s…that’s really good, Kara,” Cat breathes. “I wish I had seen this two weeks ago, but I won’t pass it up for next year,” she breathes, rubbing her finger over the small window and jotting down another picture number.

Kara looks at Cat, scribbling quickly in her notebook, eyebrows drawn together in determination, and she can’t help but find it attractive. Who is she kidding? She’s found Cat Grant attractive all of her young life, but to be sitting here in front of her, breathing the same air, showing Cat her own work? Honestly, she has to squeeze her thighs together just a bit to relieve the tension. 

After a few minutes of watching Cat work, Kara remembers what her foster mother always tells her, ‘things happen for a reason, kid, best take the chances you get’,” so she clicks the power button off on her camera and drops it to her lap. “You know, Cat, we’re in the absolute perfect little town for me to show you how fun Halloween can be…” Kara trails off.

Cat lifts her eyes briefly to Kara’s in a smile before she returns to her notebook. 

“I’m serious, Cat,” Kara says, reaching out a hand to still the constant scribbling the woman has kept up the entire time they’ve talked.

Cat stops and sets her pen down upon the notebook. “What are you suggesting, Kara?” she asks playfully. 

Kara stands and walks the few steps into her own room to put her camera away, returning with just the wallet Cat sees her stow away in the back pocket of her jeans and a smile. She reaches out a hand towards her. “C’mon. Just me and you, no cameras and no cell phones. Just you and me and this tiny town on Halloween.”

Cat looks at her cell a little regretfully. “I…I can silence it except for my son, but otherwise, I’m game,” she says hopefully.

“Of course,” Kara replies, already walking towards the door, not bothering to close the adjoining doors between their rooms. 

\-----------------------------------

Kara tries not to stare. She really does. But she’s sitting in an intimate booth in a tiny town on Halloween with Cat Grant. There are kids in costumes passing by the window for gods-sakes. She can’t help but be a little bit giddy.

“Is there something on my face?” Cat asks after a while. She’s searched the walls of the place for another point of interest, but there’s nothing that could ever compare to the bright blue eyes of her companion, the ones which haven’t left her since they sat at the cozy booth in the corner. 

“Sorry,” Kara blurts. “Sorry,” she says softly a moment later, “it’s just…you’re so much more beautiful in person.” She’s blushing and she knows it so she doesn’t try to hide it, she just meets Cat’s gaze head-on.

“Thank you,” Cat says, meeting her gaze in the fading sunset of the tiny town.

\-------------------------------------

“So, there’s the pumpkins,” Cat says firstly, as she steps carefully along the sidewalks of the neighborhood they had walked along. 

“Yes. Pumpkins. Probably the most important,” Kara says as they stroll along the sidewalk, softly lit by the light of the pumpkins and the orange and purple twinkling lights of the residents a little more enthusiastic about the holiday. She’s keeping her thumbs firmly in the pockets of her worn-in jeans, so as not to do something crazy, like reach for Cat Grant’s hand on a twinkling-light-lit-night on the way home from dinner kind of thing. “Other decorations, like the orange lights, also important,” she says lightly, stepping over what looks to be a red cape of some sort or another, crumpled upon the ground.

“Yes. I can see that as well, definitely adds to the ambience, along with the dimly lit windows, the white ghosts hanging in the trees…I get it, honestly, I do, Kara. I think, it’s just not my thing,” Cat says, holding her hands up quickly in placation, head tilted to the side with a wink and a smile.

Kara smiles to herself and digs her thumbs further into the pockets of her jeans. “I get it, everyone grows up differently. All I’m asking is for an opportunity…an opportunity to show you the mystery and the wonder and the…” Kara stops her rant when Cat stops in front of her, her hand upon Kara’s stomach to stop her. She stops, looking hopefully into those deep hazel eyes to find the willingness she’s looking for.

“Ok, Miss Danvers,” Cat snarks as she twirls once in place upon the sidewalk. “Show me what’s so special about Halloween."


	2. Chapter 2

By the time the two women have walked the few blocks to what serves as the town square, dusk has fallen and the number of flickering pumpkins has increased tenfold. There’s a pleasant chill in the air that has Kara thankful that she remembered her hoodie for their outing and she glances over to her companion thoughtfully, hoping that the plush oversized sweater and jeans that Cat had put on is enough to keep her comfortable.

“Something wrong?” she hears from the older woman’s mouth, startling a bit when she realizes she’s been caught staring.

“Nothing at all,” Kara manages to say smoothly, not wanting Cat to pick up on the nerves that have settled low in her stomach since the moment they stepped out of the door of the hotel room earlier. “I was just hoping that you’re not too cool, that’s all.” She spares Cat another glance and catches eyes sparkling with mirth.

“How chivalrous,” Cat murmurs, but then comes to a dead stop when a very tiny Batman wraps his arms around her legs. “Oh. It seems I’ve found myself a superhero. Just what I’ve always wanted…” she trails off, bending carefully to see if her leech can speak. “Excuse me, Batman. Have you lost your way?” Cat asks softly, with an equally soft smile that makes Kara flush and her heart beat faster.

“Daniel, there you are!” Cat hears from a young, flustered mother stepping quickly down the damp sidewalk. “Oh my gosh, I’ve always sworn not to put my child on a leash, but sometimes I wonder,” the young brunette says as she worries over little Batman. She looks over into Cat’s eyes, who is still kneeling, “I’m so sorry. I turn my head for just a second and the dark knight here has taken off on his own.”

Cat smiles knowingly. “It’s quite alright. I had a little Batman myself not too many years ago. Cherish it, because pretty soon they’re ‘too old’ for costumes,” she says with rolling eyes.

The young woman laughs, grasping tight to the little boy’s hand and tugs him off in the direction of several children down the block. “I will,” she calls with a beaming smile. “Thank you so much!”

Cat stands up, watching the pack of costumed little ones swarm down the dimly lit sidewalk clutching their parent’s hands. She is still watching when she hears a barely distinguishable clearing of a throat. She turns quickly to see Kara regarding her with crossed arms and a smirk. “What?” she asks defensively, crossing her own arms over her chest in defiance.

“You. You just reminisced about Halloween, a holiday which you have adamantly denied enjoying all night long…” Kara trails off, raising her eyebrows in question, hoping to get a rise out of the stubborn blonde.

“I have a teenage son, Kara. Of course I had to take part when he was younger…just because I don’t love it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t let him take part like any young boy,” she says matter-of-factly.

Kara narrows her eyes playfully, then her face brightens immediately as she glances behind Cat. She can see the colorful lights of the festival blinking in the near distance and she can’t wait to get there. “C’mon,” she murmurs with a smile, holding out her arm for Cat to loop her own through. “I have the whole night to convince you, right?”

Cat hesitates for a few seconds, sees the danger in getting too close to the gorgeous young blonde, but witnessing the uninhibited glee on the woman’s face keeps her from being able to refuse a thing. She reaches her arm through Kara’s, bends it around her elbow and feels the heat of her immediately break through. “Yes, you have me for the night.” Cat can’t help but feel a little proud at the fierce blush that erupts on the young woman’s face.

\--------------------------------------------

A short while later, Cat believes she may be experiencing Halloween overload. There are people and children in costumes milling all around. Pumpkins literally everywhere and in everything…pumpkin bread, cake, coffee, candy, pie…you name it, this town had stuffed a pumpkin in it. She turns in a wide circle to take in the festivities and slows when she sees a lanky blonde headed her way with two steaming cups of what must be…

“Apple cider,” Kara offers when she’s in earshot. She hands over the small Styrofoam cup full of autumn goodness. The overwhelming scent of cinnamon and apples hits her almost immediately and she brings it to her lips slowly, sipping at the hot liquid, savoring the spicy sweetness as it hits her taste buds. 

“Mmmm,” Cat hums, giving Kara a small smile and holding her arm out expectantly, waiting for her escort to continue the tour of the small town festival. They linger for a bit, drinking down all of their holiday concoctions. “So what’s next? I’ve seen all things pumpkin, drank hot apple cider, won a large slab of cake in a cake walk which I barely got a bite of…” she trails off teasingly, sees the self-depreciating grin on Kara’s face.

“It was really good,” Kara rationalized with a guilty grin.

“I’m sure it was from the two bites I was given,” Cat teases again. 

“So…I think the haunted house should be next,” Kara says suddenly, desperate to change the subject from her addiction to sweets. “It should be right down this block…” she says, but jerks to a stop when her companion suddenly stops walking. She turns to see a hard look upon her blonde companion’s face and those crossed arms she was subjected to earlier in the night.

“I never agreed to any haunted house, Kara.”

Kara turns slowly, taps her finger upon her chin and looks off in the distance in thought. “Actually Miss Grant, I’ve consulted with my counsel and you agreed that I, and I quote, ‘have you for the night’. I think that means that anything goes.”

Cat narrows her eyes and drops her arms to her sides. “Your ‘counsel’?” she snarks, making air-quotes around the word with her most intimidating look…which just causes Kara to laugh.

“Is that the look you give all your minions to get them to scatter?” she asks as she steps closer and closer to the brooding woman, lifting a hand to bravely rest upon Cat’s hip. “Because honestly, it’s not really scary, it’s just…kinda hot,” Kara says sheepishly, scratching an imaginary itch on the back of her neck. 

Cat blinks. Repeatedly. “Are you flirting with me?” she blurts, unable to keep the words from flowing. She shifts her weight, lets her hands fall against her sides again and feels the unmistakable warmth of Kara’s hand upon her hip.

“Maybe,” Kara replies, looking at her through thick eyelashes, biting deliciously on her lower lip.

Cat falters, her first instinct to scoff at her, at her naivety. “You do realize I’m old enough to be your…”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” Kara interrupts quickly, bringing her other hand into play, to grasp lightly at Cat’s other hip.

“But it’s true,” Cat almost pleads. “I can’t…”

“Maybe that’s not something that matters to me,” Kara responds firmly, cutting her off before she has another opportunity to argue. “Now, I already have two tickets in my pocket for the haunted house and one of them belongs to you,” she says as she grasps one of Cat’s hand, threads their fingers together and tugs. “Chop, chop, Cat.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------

“I’m not moving another inch,” Cat hisses from her cozy spot tucked inside Kara’s arms in a darkened corner of the attraction. Screeches and screams can be heard intermittently as other patrons make their way slowly through the darkened hallways. 

Kara feels warm puffs of breath hitting the side of her neck and decides that maybe this is the perfect place to stay for a while. She tightens her hold on the shorter woman and laughs when a group of teenagers shriek at a rogue zombie. “You know, as much as I’m enjoying our newfound closeness, in order to get out of here, we are eventually going to have to move,” Kara says reluctantly as she waves off a roaming employee with a flashlight.

“Not moving. This is your fault.”

Kara smiles in the darkness. “I know, it’s all my fault,” as she stretches her arms, pulling Cat closer. Her heart stutters when she suddenly feels the brush and bite of teeth at her neck.

“I have a feeling this was your plan all along, Miss Danvers,” Cat hisses. “Starting with opening that adjoining door in our hotel.”

“I did NOT open that door,” Kara blurts indignantly. She pulls back far enough to see Cat’s eyes sparkle in the mood lighting of the hallway. “Seriously, Cat. I didn’t do that.”

“Mmmm,” she says as she pulls her hands from Kara’s back to her front, where she settles them upon a firm stomach. She feels the muscles clench in anticipation, so she pulls back, reaches down to grab her companions hand and tugs. “Let’s go. Get me out of here before you never see the light of day again, Danvers.”

They emerge a short time later in a brisk walk. Cat’s hand is up in a sign of dismissal so Kara begrudgingly turns sharp to stop the chainsaw wielding employee from getting any closer. He comes up short, scrambling in the gravel at her menacing stare and with a brisk wave of her hand, he’s off to find the next exiting visitors. She chuckles as she turns but chokes it down when she sees the sharp lines of Cat’s hip outlined in the moonlight.

“Is that your idea of a good time, Kara? Because, honestly, it needs work,” Cat bites out, her eyes flashing dangerously. 

Kara approaches slowly, her hands up in a show of submittal. “I’m sorry, ok? I realize now that the things I think are fun might not be so fun for a newbie…forgive me?” she asks, giving her best puppy-dog pout. 

Cat’s stance softens a bit. “I’ll consider it if you find me one of those pumpkin martinis I saw advertised earlier,” she says nonchalantly, glancing at the nails of one hand, as if she didn’t just throw a hissy fit under a string of orange lights in a gravel parking lot.

“I can definitely do that,” Kara smiles softly, tentatively reaching out a hand to a woman that was literally clinging to her for dear life just minutes ago. She relaxes when Cat lifts a hand to hers and she pulls, bringing the smaller woman into the circle of her arms. She turns them back towards the sidewalk that will take them directly to the pumpkin martinis.   
“Now, let’s talk about how I’m pretty sure there are bite marks on the side of my neck,” she begins in a low, conspiring voice.

“I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”

\------------------------------------------------------------

Pumpkin martinis in hand, Kara and Cat stroll slowly down the lit streets, following the steady stream of trick-or-treaters and the couples milling around with drinks like their own or steaming cups of that wonderful apple cider. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever had a date on Halloween,” Kara says, pondering the elaborate display in the library window. 

“Oh. I’m your date now?” Cat asks incredulously.

“Well, yeah. I mean, I bought you dinner…”

“You wouldn’t let me pay.”

“Right. So I bought you dinner,” Kara says with a smug smile, “romantic strolls through pumpkin-lit sidewalks…”

“We walked to the restaurant,” Cat says matter-of-factly. “Had to get back somehow.”

“Warm apple cider and festival games,” Kara trails off teasingly.

“You ate all my cake.”

“I know. I’ve never had a date that was so…generous.”

Cat huffs, but can’t help but let a smile break through at Kara’s playfulness. “Where are we going, Kara? We passed the hotel two blocks ago.”

“Amphitheater.”

“Oh,” Cat says surprised. “Well, what are we watching?” she asked, suddenly intrigued.

“Night of the Living Dead,” Kara says joyfully. 

Cat’s face falls comically. “Of course we are.”

\-----------------------------------------------

“Barbara! They’re coming to get you, Barbara!” Kara calls in a sing-song voice later that night. Cat is walking a few paces in front of her, dodging the last straggling children running through the streets with full bags of candy in tow. 

“That’s really mature of you, Kara,” Cat snipes. “It’s no wonder you’ve never had a date on Halloween.”

“I think it’s because I was waiting for you, Miss Grant,” Kara answers saucily, twirling in place when a tiny ghostbuster rounds on her with her plasma gun. She reacts like she’s been tazed, shaking and twirling in place as the girl giggles and runs off to her parents. “Hey, wait up, Barbara!”

Cat stops short. “Are you drunk?” 

“No! I had the same drink you had. I’m just happy,” Kara says, drawing closer and offering her arm once again to the older woman. She preens a bit when it’s taken and she slides her other hand over Cat’s, tangling their fingers together once again. “I know…I still haven’t convinced you of the magic of Halloween…so I have one more harmless trick up my sleeve before we end the night.” She turns them sharply at the next corner, leading them into a portion of the streets where the street lights are not quite as frequent. There’s a church there, where there are a few people still milling about after what was sure to be another small festival. Smiling pumpkins are still lit on the outskirts of the property.

“A cemetery? Really, Kara? How romantic.”

Kara turns and regards her closely, never letting loose of her hold on the other woman’s arm. “Oh, I’m sorry…have you already experienced a cemetery on Halloween night?”

Cat glares.

“On the other side of this cemetery is that cheap, itchy hotel room that I know you love. All I’m asking is that you make your way through it with me. Is that so much to ask?” Kara asks innocently, all the while rubbing her thumb over the back of Cat’s knuckles that still rest in her hand. She draws her close, happy when Cat pulls closer without hesitance. “I’ll protect you from all the ghosts and goblins, Cat, no worries,” Kara says, her lips whispering over the shell of the blonde woman’s ear. 

“I’ll hold you to that, Danvers,” Cat croaks out, shivering from the close proximity of the younger woman’s lips at her ear.

\------------------------------------------------------------

“Well, this is rather…uninspiring,” Cat says in a bored tone about halfway through their small walk. 

“It…it is not. We saw that owl earlier. Then there were the unexplained creepy sounds in the grass…” Kara trails off.

“Vermin, I’m sure.”

“See! There are vermin. That’s spooky,” Kara grins. “Those vermin could be bats. Those are pretty creepy.”

Cat stops cold. “Bats?” she hisses in question.

“Well, yeah. Bats live in lots of places. I took a whole series of photos of the bat colony in downtown Houston, of all places. They come out from under a bridge right by the Whole Foods. It’s amazing.”

“That doesn’t sound very sanitary.”

Kara laughs. “They’re not in it, silly. Your lattes are safe.”

Cat scoffs. “How do you know I drink lattes?”

“Please. I know the type. You’re a grande, nonfat latte, hot as the sun kind of woman.”

Cat stays silent for a few moments. “I think you may have me pegged, Miss Danvers.”

“Yeah?” Kara questions softly. She jerks to a stop on the moonlit path. “Let’s go look over here,” she says, quickly pulling the other woman by the hand through the damp grass. They’ve moved away from the tombstones, now venturing into just the shaded pathways and occasional mausoleums that cast long shadows throughout the space. 

“Kara!” Cat calls as her hand slips free and she is left standing in between two of the large tombs alone. “Kara Danvers! I swear to god if you don’t come back here, you’ll never work in the continental U.S. again!”

“Well, that’s harsh,” she hears whispered from behind her left ear and she twirls into the blonde’s arms, feels herself being stepped back slowly against the slightly damp concrete wall behind her. Her back hits the surface with a soft thud and she immediately feels the entirety of Kara’s warmth against her, from breasts to knees. She takes in a sharp breath, searches with her hands and finds purchase against Kara’s strong shoulders. “Tell me if I’m wrong,” she hears Kara whisper against her lips. “But I think you want this as much as I do.”

Cat rests her head back against the hard surface behind her, takes a deep breath to try and calm her frantically beating heart. “You’re not wrong,” she whispers, gasping as her lips are immediately taken in a kiss so fierce she whimpers at the first swipe of a tongue.


	3. Chapter 3

Cat forgets where she is for a moment, forgets that there is damp concrete at her back and tickling grass at the feet. All of her focus is on the lips touching hers, the tongue that is swiping teasingly at her bottom lip and the strong hands she feels curling around her hips, pulling them tighter together. When Kara’s hands venture underneath her sweater to scratch lightly at the skin of her lower back, she can’t hold back the moan that springs forth and Cat clenches her hands tighter in the young woman’s long, thick hair.

“Kara,” she gasps as she feels teasing bites down her throat. Kara’s hands have smoothed their way around and are making teasing swipes from the bottom of her bra to the top of her jeans. “Kara, this isn’t really the place for this, is it?” she manages, never once discouraging the touches.

Those sinful lips leave one last bite to the bottom of her chin before Cat sees twinkling blue eyes in front of her. Kara has shed her glasses at some point and she has no idea when that could have happened. Her long hair is loose around her shoulders now too, most likely from Cat’s eager fingers. Kara has a small smile on those kiss bruised lips and she lifts a hand from its cozy spot underneath Cat’s sweater to smooth the frown upon the other woman’s forehead. “What’s the matter, Cat? Don’t like the scenery?” she asks, her smile turned teasing. “I’ve had this reservation for months and it’s not good enough?”

Cat huffs out a laugh but still preens under the attention when Kara returns her mouth to her neck, licking softly, sucking at her pulse point, sending chills down her spine. She breathes out sharply again when she feels a firm hand smoothing down over the front button of her jeans, down the zipper, but then skirting to the side to press firm fingers down the inside of her thigh. “Only the best for your dates, huh, Danvers? Bought out the whole place just to have some privacy?” she asks, quickly getting to the point to where she could care less where they are.

“Well, I’ve always tried to be adventurous, Cat,” Kara murmurs. “When someone asks you years from now what the most exciting thing you’ve ever done on Halloween is, I’d hope you’ll say it was me.” She gets her point across with a firm bite where Cat’s neck meets her shoulder. 

“Aaah,” Cat hisses, squeezes Kara’s shoulders as hard as she can while tilting her head to give the young woman more room to work at her sensitive neck. 

The bites give way again to soft licks and kisses as Kara makes her way back to Cat’s lips, brings the woman into a sensual kiss that has them both breathing roughly through their noses to prolong it. Kara’s hand is still pressing and squeezing the inside of Cat’s thigh and when they finally break for air, Kara drags her teeth down Cat’s chin again, teasing and pulling. Her other hand has returned to its former place underneath her sweater and at the same moment Kara lays her lips on Cat’s throbbing pulse point, she brings it up to cup her breast and thumbs at the hard point she feels even through the cup of Cat’s bra.

Cat lets out a groan and thumps her head back against the concrete, presses down hard against the hand at her thigh that is just out of reach of the place where she desperately needs the pressure. “Kara,” she groans. 

“Yes, Miss Grant,” Kara replies in a teasing whisper. “Do you want me to stop?” The heat of the older woman beneath her hands is overwhelming and addictive. It chases away the chill of the night. She swipes her thumb over a hard nipple once again and presses a fraction of an inch higher on Cat’s thigh. Kara breathes in deep at the shudder it causes, breathes in Cat’s heady perfume, the cool night air and the faint remnants of burning leaves wafting in the country air.

Cat clenches her fist in Kara’s hair, yanks her head back to look into the woman’s eyes. “If you stop now, Danvers, being in this cemetery will be ridiculously convenient, because you will not make it out alive,” she hisses out, right before pulling Kara’s lips back to hers’ roughly. She spears her tongue deep, licks at the back of Kara’s teeth and wrestles for control, all while she feels both of Kara’s hands slide to the button of her jeans. The muscles in her stomach twitch in response. She releases her lips with a pop. “Now, touch me before I murder you.”

\-----------------------------------------------------

There’s a sickly orange glow in the room due to the garish pattern of the polyester curtains on the hotel window. Cat blinks her eyes at the unexpected hue and groans when she realizes that its most likely due to the sun already being high in the sky. She stretches her legs underneath the scratchy sheets, moaning at the unexpected soreness she feels in her thighs and between her legs, making her roll to her back immediately, reaching a hand back to where her young lover should still be asleep. She comes up empty and frowns when she realizes that the other side of the bed doesn’t even look like it’s been disturbed.

She sits up, clutching the sheets to her chest and looking around the room. The adjoining door is shut and there is no sign of Kara. Cat sighs and plops back down on the flimsy pillows. Usually it’s her that slips out before the morning, hoping to avoid awkward conversation or false promises of calls or future dates. She should have known better to think that someone like Kara would want anything else with a woman like her, consumed by her career with barely time for her son, much less a new romance. 

‘Yes, it’s probably for the best’ she thinks, but can’t help but remember the way Kara made her feel the night before. No one in her recent past had made her feel the way she had last night…made her reckless and wanting, not caring about being caught. She can still feel the young woman’s touch, sliding purposefully between her legs, coaxing a climax out of her so powerful that she felt boneless and weak on the short walk back to their hotel.

She sighs loudly again, wiggles down into the layers of sheets and blankets and breathes in deep. Cat can still smell the sweet smell of Kara’s shampoo on her pillow and she swears she can still feel the tentative clenching of Kara’s hands in her hair while she licked and bit her way down the woman’s flat stomach. 

“God, I’m losing my mind,” she says sharply, sitting up and throwing the covers off of her. “Get over it, Grant. One time thing,” she barks out to herself, stalking naked to the bathroom to shower and leave this little town behind.

\-------------------------------------------------

“Morning, ma’am. Checking out?” asks the scruffy red-head at the hotel counter. He’s out of his chair immediately when she struts in the door, oversized sunglasses perched on her nose. 

“Don’t call me ma’am,” she bites out. “Yes, checking out,” she says sliding the room key across the counter. 

“Uh, yes ma…I mean, yes Miss Grant. I hope your stay was pleasant,” he stammers as he places the key in the drawer and clicks the mouse a few times to print out her receipt.  
“It was fine,” she bites out again. She looks out the front windows to see an almost empty parking lot. “Did the young woman in the room next to mine check out already?” she asks, almost nicely. Almost.

The boy pops his head up in confusion. “Um, there wasn’t anyone in the room next to you, Miss Grant.” He can’t see her look of confusion until she reaches up to whip her sunglasses off. “Actually, you were our only guest besides Mr. Willis, but he’s on the other side of the parking lot.”

“Nonsense. Her name is Kara Danvers,” she waits expectantly for the boy to check his log, but he just stares at her. “Look, she was literally in the room next to mine. The adjoining doors between our rooms even opened on their own. That’s how we met,” she explains patiently.

“Uh…I’m sorry, ma’am…I mean, Miss Grant, but those adjoining doors have been sealed shut for twenty years. All of them actually…in the whole hotel. The previous owner was a bit eccentric…he was always saying this place was haunted,” the boy laughs a little at that last statement, but immediately stops when he sees the stern look on her face.

She doesn’t respond. She just reaches forward to snatch the paper from his hand and turns on her heel to walk out the front door. She’s breathing heavily when the cool air of the morning hits her, so she leans against the metal railing to calm herself while she waits for her car to be delivered. ‘Ridiculous’ she thinks. She looks down at her cell in her hand, then back to the door of her room. She snorts a little, shakes her head and laughs. Maybe she did imagine the whole thing. It would definitely explain how perfect it felt.

“Did you know that you can get a teenager to say just about anything for twenty bucks?”

Cat whirls in place at the voice and narrows her eyes menacingly when she spies Kara leaning up against the red brick of the building. She’s dressed in jeans and black converse, a soft red and black plaid flannel over a black tank top. Her hair is pulled up into a sloppy clip on the back of her head and she’s smiling mischievously towards Cat. “Miss Danvers,” she practically growls. She takes the few quick steps towards Kara and slaps wildly at her arm, causing the young woman to laugh giddily. “That was not funny, Kara. You are an ass.”

Kara is still laughing as she reaches out to still Cat’s flailing hands, slides her own around Cat’s slim waist and pulls her close, even though Cat is reluctant. She’s still scowling and Kara thinks it’s adorable. “It was a little funny, admit it,” she says softly, leaning in and stealing a kiss from pouting lips.

“Where did you go?” Cat asks, her arms still hanging loosely at her sides, unwilling to give in to the young woman’s charms just yet.

Kara ducks her head. “I’m sorry, Cat. I definitely did not want to leave you alone this morning, but the whole reason I was here in the first place was to get shots from the church at sunrise. I didn’t want to wake you just to tell you.”

“So you decided to trick me instead?” she asks disbelievingly, raising a hand to slap at Kara’s arm a few more times.

Kara just gives a goofy smile. “It’s still kinda Halloween. Figured I had at least one more trick up my sleeve,” she says. “Think you’ll enjoy the holiday from now on?”

“We’ll see,” Cat says with a smirk. 

\------------------------------------------------

“So, is this like, the apocalypse?” Winn asks. He and James are both staring at the giant, beautifully decorated Christmas tree that is set up just outside the elevators of the 40th floor. There is also lit garland strung around doorways and a few tastefully placed snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. 

“Maybe she just decided to be festive this year,” James says as he looks around the tree. It’s so big it’s even blocking the view of the giant, pink cat which sits there. “We’ve all noticed a few changes in Cat over the last few months, Winn. All of them have worked out better for us, we should be happy.”

“Dude. Last year I wore a tie with reindeers on it to work on Christmas Eve and she snipped it off at the neck with my own scissors. Cat Grant does not do holidays,” Winn huffs out. “That was my favorite tie,” he says pouting. 

“I’m sure it was…” James trails off as he sees a familiar face walking out of the elevator. He does a double-take. “Kara?”

“James!” the blonde says as she walks over excitedly and wraps her arms around his neck. “I was hoping I’d see you!”

“It’s great to see you. I was hoping you’d call me when you were in National City, but I didn’t expect a visit,” he says charmingly. Winn just stares and clears his throat when James can’t seem to take his eyes away from Kara’s face. “Oh, sorry. Kara this is Winn. He handles all the IT for this floor.”

“Hi, Winn, it’s nice to meet you,” Kara says kindly. She readjusts the bag on her shoulder and laughs a little when she looks around. “Guess I’m a little underdressed for CatCo headquarters, huh?” she asks as she pulls a little at her faded jeans.

“You look great,” Winn blurts. “Really, really great,” he murmurs.

Kara just laughs again. “Thanks, Winn,” she says and reaches out to chuck him on the shoulder. He draws back with an ouch.

“So, Kara,” James interrupts, rolling his eyes at Winn’s pained scowl, “come to take me to lunch?”

Kara is looking around the bullpen with interest. Her eyes skirt over the giant Christmas tree behind them, then land on the slim form leaning against the glass door of the office in the corner. The smile that jumps forth is bright and she looks back to the handsome man. “Not today, James, I’ve got a date,” she says with a wink.

Both men watch as she trots over to the corner glass office, walks in and is immediately pulled into a kiss.

Winn snorts. “Yeah, she’s definitely not here to take you to lunch.”

“Dude, shut up.”


End file.
